Three cancer doctors resign from New Milford Hospital

News-Times, The (Danbury, CT)

Published 7:00 pm, Wednesday, December 5, 2007

The three physicians' resignations -- Alfred Cretella, Orion Howard and Beth Overmoyer -- have prompted much speculation by patients, staff and area residents about why they would leave a center the hospital's leader touts as the "jewel in its crown.''

"I'm not a happy camper,'' said Donald Cairns, a decade-long lung cancer patient of oncologist Dr. Cretella, who in late November notified his patients that at year's end he will take a new post in Nebraska. "I have bad vibes about it. I could see if one left, and the others kept chugging along, but when all three go, what is going on? I don't think it's a coincidence, and it's a crying shame."

Such reactions prompted Chief Executive Officer and President Dr. Joseph Frolkis Wednesday to emphasize this was the "perfect storm,'' an unexpected challenge that occurred because these well-respected doctors were offered out-of-state opportunities that fulfilled their career and life goals. He assured the timing of these departures that started in September with his wife, Dr. Overmoyer, who came to New Milford in 2005, were unexpected and unrelated.

Dr. Howard, hired in 2000, is leaving mid-January to work at a cancer center in Bennington, Vermont.

Dr. Overmoyer and Dr. Howard were not available for comment Wednesday; Dr. Cretella did not return a message left at his office.

As unfortunate as it is to lose such seasoned professionals, Dr. Frolkis promised these changes will in no way jeopardize any of the center's estimated 800 patients' ongoing treatment and care.

Since 2000, the 10-physician Northwestern Connecticut Oncology & Hematology Associates practice headquartered in Torrington has provided regular back-up doctors to the cancer center. Dr. Howard and Dr. Overmoyer were members of that staff.

With this change, the practice will assign two of its rotating physicians -- Dr. Michael Magnifico and Dr. Debra Brandt -- to become the center's primary care doctors. The founder of that practice, Dr. Ivan Lowenthal, will be a third treating physician.

All are renown for their patient involvement and pursuit of advanced treatment protocols and research.

In his role as a doctor, Dr. Frolkis said he is most concerned that rumors are quelled so that patients do not become unduly upset for fear that their medical care will in some way be improperly interrupted.

Obviously, he said, patients develop attachments to their doctors and the hospital wants to help patients build those relationships with the new full-time staff physicians.

Mr. Cairns is one of those patients. He said he was disappointed upon receiving Dr. Cretella's letter that he was resigning from the practice.

"Without him we wouldn't have the cancer center. He was the guiding force,'' Mr. Cairns said, recalling the compassionate and diligent care the veteran doctor provided him through all his treatments. "Actually, he saved my life.''

In his patient letter, Dr. Cretella wrote that he has mixed emotions because his local patients have become like family. But he expressed confidence the "excellent care'' offered through the center will continue without interruption.

Fellow doctors and board members at the hospital, who did not want to be named, concurred that this is not a revolution but simply an evolution, with hospital-based oncologists being particularly challenged by medical reimbursements. They said they are confident the hospital administration's plan to address the change is patient-focused.

In no way, Dr. Frolkis added, do these changes signal a diminishing of the hospital's commitment to the cancer center.

"Quite the contrary,'' Dr. Frolkis emphasized. "The cancer center is the jewel in our crown, and remains one of our top priorities and top programs.

"There is nothing at all to be read into this unfortunate coincidence, or our commitment to the cancer center or our patients,'' Dr. Frolkis said.